Rumble #1

by John Arcudi, James Harren & Dave Stewart

There is never a shortage of dark supernatural stories out on the shelves. However, there was something about Rumble when it was previewed that felt special. Some of the great things you will find in the pages of Rumble: a sword-wielding scarecrow, creepy-eyed cats, outlandish monsters, and hillbillies. How is that not a winning combination? Rumble‘s first issue hits shops this week and it lives up to being one incredibly unique series.

There all sorts of ways writers can tackle a first issue. Some are more successful than others. Rumble‘s first issue does an immaculate job of executing the “more show than tell” style of storytelling. John Arcudi keeps Rumble‘s first issue simple and vague, but the pacing made Rumble so satisfying. Arcudi drops readers right into the world of Rumble without any back-story or preface. Which is fine, because none is needed to appreciate this issue. Everything in Rumble‘s debut is so fun to read that you can just jump into this crazy world and enjoy the ride.

Speaking of Rumble‘s perfect pacing, you must also mention the entire issue’s art and layout. James Harren was a huge reason that Rumble‘s debut was such a success. His panel layouts were simple, but in that sense made Rumble read smoothly. One must also mention Harren’s wonderfully distinctive art style that is essential to the entire experience of Rumble.  All of his characters have a slight cartoonish quality that helps make them incredibly expressive. However, he balances that with a dark tone sets by his inks that give Rumble a rough quality. The coloring work in Rumble is so slight, but incredibly effective. Dave Stewart ties everything together with colors that are still vibrant, but not distracting. In fact, there are quite a few bright colors in this book, yet Stewart still maintains Rumble‘s murky vibe.

Rumble‘s first issue was an exceedingly gratifying read. Plenty of action and intrigue to attract even casual readers. Rumble still has plenty yet to reveal with its story, but this was a wonderful way to start off on the right foot. This first issue of Rumble had me sold and I’m looking forward to reading more and seeing where these creators take us.